An IUD Will Cost More Than $1000 If the Affordable Care Act Is Repealed

It's not pretty.

The assault on the Affordable Care Act is already underway, as both congress and President Trump have taken preliminary steps in eliminating the healthcare law. Republicans have promised there will be a replacement for the ACA that's enacted "simultaneously" to when the original law is repealed, but there's still no outline for what that new law will look like. Since the Trump administration has a poor track record on women's and reproductive rights, and the man poised to be the country's top health official has said he doesn't believe women have trouble affording birth control, it's not unreasonable to worry that the no-copay birth control under the ACA will be a thing of the past.

If that happens, Business Insider compiled a look at what getting an IUD will be like when you're liable for the full, or nearly full cost. The numbers aren't pretty.

Currently, the ACA required insurers to cover IUDs with no out-of-pocket costs. Without it, the national median cost for a Mirena IUD is $1,111, according to Business Insider. Since many insurance plans require you to pay at least $1,000 in medical expenses before coverage kicks in, the average woman getting an IUD would have to pay nearly the entire cost, making what doctors say is the best form of birth control virtually inaccessible to all but the most privileged women.

That cost fluctuates from state to state, with Washington D.C. having the lowest cost at $936, and the highest cost in Alaska at $1,586. Women in Mississippi would pay $1,162 for a Mirena IUD, but women in neighboring Tennessee would shell out $995.

What's worse is repealing the ACA may leave many women responsible for costs of cancer screenings like mammograms, making it less likely that she will get the preventative care she needs to stay healthy. In Alaska, women may face a $496 cost for a mammogram, women in Florida could pay $297, and women in New York might pay $257.

On the Senate floor, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand lobbied to keep the Affordable Care Act because of what it tells women.

"Under the Affordable Care Act, we made many changes that made a huge difference in the lives of everyday American families. It said to the women of America you can't be charged more just because you're a woman," she said.

The ACA mandates no-copay birth control, it covers preventative gynecological exams, cancer screenings and other health services that women need. Taking away coverage for these services targets women, specifically low-income women, making them literally pay more to stay healthy just because they are a woman. Like Kirsten said, women and families count on this coverage. That's why it's time to call your legislators and let them know exactly how the ACA helps you.